The Hub Greets Advertisers With Inaugural Lineup

With less than five months to go before its official launch, The Hub on Monday formally announced its inaugural programming lineup, taking the wraps off a mix of six original series and a dozen acquired programs.The new joint venture from Discovery Communications and toymaker Hasbro bows on Oct. 10 with five home-grown series, plus a pair of shows produced by The Hatchery, a production company founded in 2003 by Hub president and CEO Margaret Loesch.The five Hasbro Studios programs include a pair of animated strips (G.I. Joe Renegades and Pound Puppies), as well as a one-hour game show, Family Game Night. Joining the newly unveiled Hasbro series are Transformers Prime and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, both of which were announced last fall. Meanwhile, the two projects from The Hatchery are: R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, a live-action anthology series based on the work of the titular kiddie-horror author, and Dan Vs., a cooperative effort with the Starz Media unit Film Roman.Also on the roster is The 99, an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name in which a team of multinational superheroes band together to fight the forces of evil. The 99 is produced by Teshkeel Media and Endemol Digital UK Production Group. Among the acquired Hub series are a number of familiar properties, including the Jim Henson classic Fraggle Rock, the Animal Planet franchise Meerkat Manor and a new CGI-animated Strawberry Shortcake.“I’m delighted with the caliber of programming—which includes some beloved and popular brands—that we are bringing to the network’s new lineup,” said Loesch, by way of announcing the new slate. “We are focused on bringing together a diverse slate and a wide array of amazing creative talent to make The Hub a popular destination for children and their families.”The Hub’s schedule will be divided into four demo-specific blocks. Preschool programming for kids 2-5 will air from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Kids Afternoon/Prime block will look to make a splash with the network’s primary target, members of the 6-12 crowd. Capping the programming day, Family Prime Access (6 p.m.-7 p.m.) leads into Family Prime (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.).Set to bow in 60 million U.S. households, the Hub will be Nielsen-rated upon launch.

Convergent TV

The Hub Greets Advertisers With Inaugural Lineup

Anthony Crupi

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